Plug



Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

IN VE N TOR A TTORNEYS In the 'drawi for and win first ERD. V. CROWELL, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

PLUG.

Application filed March 28, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Em). V. CROWELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Tulsa, in the county of Tulsa and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plugs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in lugs, and has for its object to provide a once of the character specified especiall adapted for providing water-tight seal at t e bottom of a well for the purpose of shutting off a flow of water from below, wherein the arrangement is such that the plug may be introduced through the well casing and expanded at-the desired point below the 03-3, ing to=seal the casing at this point.

Figure 1 is a ront view of the improved P111 in expanded condition;

ig. 2 is a vertical section with the parts in contracted position;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the plug;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of ig. 5 is a. diagrammatic view showing the manner of arranging the reinforcing wlre.

As is known, when water underlies oil and in the same sand, with no impervious strata to separate the Water bearing part of the sand from the productive part of the sand, the water will interfere with the production of the oil sand by flooding the sand with water from below. This water is generally under a high pressure and has great erosive power. An openin admitting a small amount of water wifiibe ra idly eroded to admit more water and the ow will become gradually less in percentage of oil and ater in percentage of water. The water,

aving the greatest erosive force, will fight place at the outlet provided by the well.

In order to properly seal the well to shut ofi this objectionable flow of water the bore of the well must be filled completely, with a substantial plu of plastic material capable of hardening, field out against the wall of the well under heavy lateral pressure, so that the pore spaces and variations in diam- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

Serial No. 285,845.

eter of the latter will be thoroughly and closely filled. v

In the present embodiment of the inven-- tion, a core 1 is provided, of steel or other suitable material, and upon each end of this core is arranged a sleeve 2 and 3, respectively. The sleeve 2 has a flange 4 at its lower end and the sleeve 3 is encircled by a shell 5. The upper ends of the lower sleeve and shell are externally threaded and each is engaged b a washer 6 and 7, respectively. The core is s idable through the sleeve 3 and a transverse partition 8 is rovided at the lower end of the sleeve for olding the core from movement downward through the sleeve until pressure is brought 'upon the core to drive it through the partition.

The sleeve 2 constitutes a head for driving the core through the sleeve 3, and the core has annular grooves 9, which are adapted to be engaged b the inwardly extendin ends of resilient ogs 10 secured to the s ell 5 and extending through registerin openings in the shell and sleeve to engage t e grooves of the core. Referring to ig. 1, it will be noted that these grooves have upwardly facing shoulders, the upper walls of the grooves bein inclined to permit the dogs to slip smoothly over said walls.

Spiral vanes 11 are arranged between the flange 4 and the washer 6, each vane being of a length to extend from the flange 4 to the washer 6 when the flange and the washer are separated to the desired degree. These vanes are connected at their ends to the flange and to the washers 6 and 7 by bolts and nuts 11 and 12, res ectively, and the intermediate portions of the vanes are free, the vanes being connected at their ends only. It is obvious that when the flange is moved toward the washers 6 and 7 the pitch of the screw will be lessened, and the aggregate width from the outer edges of the vanes of the center or axis of the core will be increased. Thus the outer edges of the vanes which are sharpened are caused'to bite into the wall of the well opening and to make lateral pressure toward the said walls, digging themselves in and gripping positive y the walls of the well.

In use, the plug arranged as shown in Fig. 1 is lowered into the well, and when in proper position the anchor pipe 13 which may be of suitable length, engages the bot tom of the well. The tools are used to force the sleeve 2 toward the sleeve 3, and as the core moves through the sleeve 3 the dogs engage the grooves 9 and prevent reverse movement of the core. The vanes grip the well wall, and after the device is in proper position cement or other packing may be introduced, as much bein added as may be desired. In practice, w iile lowering the packing material it is advisable to mix ordinar fuel oil with the cement.

It will be understood that in the event there is a water bearing strata below the productive oil strata separated from the oil strata by an impervious strata, and the impervious strata should be penetrated by the drill, a bottom hole plug would be necessary to prevent the water from invading the oil sand. It will be noticed that both ends of the shell 5 are threaded, the lower end for the anchor pipe. This anchor pipe, indicated at 13, in ractice not only acts to properly position t e plug, but, being embedded in the cement serves to anchor the plug. In the usual practice, the lug will be oaded with a cement or pac in material placed in between the spirals fore it is lowered, although it is obvious that this may be done afterward. A better result is obtained by lowering the packing with the plu 1% order to provide a means for holding a sealing medium in the spiral vanes, a number of openings 14 are provided in the edges of the spirals which serve as an anchorage for the sealing medium, and through which wires 15 may be run if desired, to better anchor the sealing medium. as shown in Fig. 5. The preferred form of sealing means is oakum saturated with thin cement mixture, wrung out about half dry and then tied in the spiral vane. The plug, after being loaded with the sealing mixture and attached to the anchor'pipe of proper length, constitutes a complete plug in one direction, giving it the power to automatically and properly position itself in the well and to seal the plug or hole at the desired point.

I claim:

1. A device of the characters ecified comprising a core, a head at one en of the core, a sleeve at the other end through which the core is adapted to move, said core and sleeve having interengaging means for preventing reverse movement of the core with respect to the sleeve, a series of vanes extending between the sleeve and the head spirally of the core and connected at their ends to the head and the sleeve to be expanded when the head is moved toward the sleeve and contracted when the head is moved away from the sleeve, frangible means for normally preventing downward movement of the core with respect to the sleeve, the interengaging means between the sleeve and the core comprisin dogs on the sleeve and teeth on the core or engagement by the dogs 'to prevent upward movement of the core with respect to the sleeve and to permit free downward movement.

2. A device of the character specified comprising a core, a head at one end of the core, a sleeve at the other end through which the core is adapted to move said core and sleeve having interengaging means for preventing reverse movement of the ore with respect to the sleeve, a series of vanes extending between the sleeve and the head spirally of the core and connected at their ends to the head and the sleeve to be expanded when the head is moved toward the sleeve and contracted when the head is moved away from the sleeve, and frangible means fornormally preventing downward movement of the core with respect to the sleeve.

3. A device of the character specified comprising a core, a head at one end of the core, a sleeve at the other end through which the core is adapted to move, said core and sleeve having interengaging means for preventing reverse movement of the core with respect to the sleeve, a series of vanes extending between the sleeve and the head s irally of the core and connected at their en s to the head and the sleeve to be expanded when the head is moved toward the sleeve and contracted when the head is moved away from the sleeve, the interengaging means between the sleeve and the core comprising dogs on the sleeve and teeth on the core for engagement by the dogs to prevent upward movement of the core wlth respect to the sleeve and to permit free downward movement.

4. A device of the character specified comprising a core, a head at one end of the core, a sleeve at the other end through which the core is adapted to move, said core and sleeve having interengaging means for preventing reverse movement of the core with respect to the sleeve, and a series of vanes extending between the sleeve and the head spirally of the core and connected at their ends to the head and the sleeve to be ex anded when the head is moved toward the s eeve and contracted when the head is moved away from the sleeve.

5. A device of the character specified comprising a core provided at one end with a. head. a sleeve at the other end through which the core is movable, spirally arranged vanes extending between the sleeve and the head about the core and adapted to be expanded when the core and head are moved to ether and to be contracted when the core an head are moved apart, and frangible means for normally preventing movement of the sleeve toward the head.

6. A device of the character specified comare moved apart, and means for preventing prising a core provided at one end with a. reverse movement of the sleeve wlth respect 10 head, a sleeve at the other end through which to the head. the core is movable, spirally arranged vanes 5 extending between the sleeve and the head OROW'ELL' about the core and adaapted to be expanded Witnesses: when the core and hen are moved to ther CHAS. H. Loomxs,

and to be contracted when the core an head A. B. STILWEIL. 

